DRIVER MONITORING APPARATUS, METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM
To enable monitoring of both the direction and the level of attention being paid by a vehicle driver, a driver monitoring apparatus uses a detector to detect the attention direction of the driver based on monitoring data output from a first sensor, uses a calculator to repeatedly calculate, at every deviation calculation time, a deviation (e.g., standard deviation) of the attention direction during a deviation calculation duration, and uses a determiner to determine the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver based on the calculated deviation.
1 . A driver monitoring apparatus, comprising:
a first sensor configured to output first sensing data including a monitoring image of a vehicle driver;
a storage configured to store the first sensing data output from the first sensor;
a detector configured to detect an attention direction including a face or gaze direction of the driver based on the first sensing data stored in the storage;
a calculator configured to repeatedly calculate, at every predetermined time, a deviation of the attention direction detected by the detector during a predetermined duration; and
a determiner configured to determine a direction and a level of attention being paid by the driver based on the deviation calculated by the calculator.
2 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determiner determines, as the level of attention, a degree of gaze of the driver in the attention direction.
3 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the determiner determines whether the driver is looking at a position within a predetermined forward area defined in front of the vehicle based on the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver.
4 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determiner determines, as the attention direction of the driver, an area including a position at which the driver is likely to be looking.
5 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the determiner determines whether the driver is looking at a position within a predetermined forward area defined in front of the vehicle based on the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver.
6 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determiner determines the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver based on a size and a position of a deviation area having the attention direction detected by the detector as a center and the deviation calculated by the calculator as a radius.
7 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the determiner determines whether the driver is looking at a position within a predetermined forward area defined in front of the vehicle based on the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver.
8 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determiner determines whether the driver is looking at a position within a predetermined forward area defined in front of the vehicle based on the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver.
9 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensor configured to output second sensing data indicating a state of the vehicle,
wherein the storage further stores the second sensing data output from the second sensor,
the detector further detects a speed of the vehicle based on the second sensing data stored in the storage, and
the apparatus further comprises a changer configured to change a length of the predetermined duration in accordance with the vehicle speed detected by the detector.
10 . The driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a changer configured to change a length of the predetermined duration in accordance with the attention direction detected by the detector.
11 . A driver monitoring method implemented by a driver monitoring apparatus for monitoring a vehicle driver, the method comprising:
storing, with the driver monitoring apparatus, first sensing data into a storage, the first sensing data including a monitoring image of the vehicle driver output from a first sensor;
detecting, with the driver monitoring apparatus, an attention direction including a face or gaze direction of the driver based on the first sensing data stored in the storage;
repeatedly calculating, at every predetermined time, with the driver monitoring apparatus, a deviation of the detected attention direction during a predetermined duration; and
determining, with the driver monitoring apparatus, a direction and a level of attention being paid by the driver based on the calculated deviation.
12 . A non-transitory recording medium having a driver monitoring program recorded thereon causing a computer to function as the units included in the driver monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 .